Choirs present 'Holiday Fantasia' Dec. 7
Contact: Christina Chapple
12/3/08
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s choral groups will join their voices Dec. 7 for “Holiday Fantasia,” a free concert of holiday choral music.
Directed by Alissa Mercurio Rowe, director of choral activities, the Concert Choir, Women's Chorale, and the combined University Chorus and Northshore Chorale will perform at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 401 W. Morris St. in Hammond.
The concert will open with the 36-member Concert Choir, the university’s premier vocal ensemble, performing with orchestra the first movement of Bach's advent cantata “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” one of Bach's most widely performed choral works.
The Women’s Chorale will perform a rousing “Alleluia” with African rhythms and colors by Paul Basler. Bobby Cotter of the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts faculty will solo on horn.
In the second half of the concert, the University Chorus and Northshore Chorale, which are made up of Southeastern music and non-music majors and community singers, will perform holiday favorites such as “The Holly and the Ivy” and “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen.”
“The University Chorus and Northshore Chorale will also present one of Ralph Vaughan William's most beloved compositions, ‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols,’ with orchestra,” Rowe said. Colby McCurdy, a senior vocal performance major from Slidell, will be the baritone soloist.
Three other senior voice majors will also be featured as soloists during the program. Keturah Turner of Hammond will perform in “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal” with the Concert Choir. Kimberly Hilliard of Covington and Danielle Willie of Ponchatoula will join the University Chorus and Northshore Chorale in Sir Charles Villiers Stanford’s “Magnificat” and the traditional “I Wonder as I Wander,” respectively.
Hilliard will also be one of three student conductors featured on the program. She will conduct the University Chorus and Northshore Chorale’s performance of “The Holly and the Ivy,” while music education major Paula Vickers of Ponchatoula will conduct the Women’s Chorale in “Ascribe to the Lord” and vocal performance major Elyse German of Pearl River will conduct the University Chorus and Northshore Chorale in “The Angel’s Song.”
For additional information, contact Rowe at 985-549-2334 or arowe@selu.edu.
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